This invention relates in general to program guides and, more specifically, to conditional access systems that provide access to content supplied by content providers.
Content is delivered by satellite, microwave, UHF, VDSL, optical fiber, VHF, or cable to conditional access set top boxes of users in a number of different ways. Most content is available according to a linear schedule published in programming guides. Certain additional services are available with some of these delivery systems, for example, pay per view (PPV), video on demand (VOD) and near video on demand (NVOD). PPV allows a user to purchase the right to view a program according to a linear schedule. VOD provides the ability to view a program at any time with control of the playback by the user. NVOD is a hybrid approach where a program is available on a number of channels in a linear program with staggered start times, but the user cannot control playback.
PPV, VOD and NVOD store the content remote from the user for delivery on a dedicated or shared channel. PPV and NVOD are broadcast according to a linear schedule and multiple users share that single channel to view the program simultaneously. Because the single channel is shared, no user can control the playback of the content. In contrast, conventional VOD is singlecasted on a dedicated channel available to a single user, which allows control of the playback. The VOD content resides on a server at the headend and is streamed over the dedicated channel under the control of the user. For example, a user can start, stop, rewind, fast forward, or pause a VOD program.
Personal video recorders (PVR) or digital video recorders (DVR) store video content on a hard drive instead of removable tapes that are used by video cassette recorders (VCR). The DVR functionality may be in a separate unit in the user location or could be integrated into the set top box. Recently, capacities of around 60 hours of video content have been achieved. This capacity allows storage of many programs on the DVR. Program guides typically list these stored programs in alphabetical order or by category in alphabetical order. Linearly-scheduled programs are often displayed in a program grid.
In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.